The Parts of the Liturgy

The liturgy is made up of different blocks that all build toward the proclamation of the gospel: the good news of what Jesus did to save sinners.

invocation

Every service begins “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” These are the same words spoken over you at your baptism. They are a weekly reminder that we enter God’s presence to worship him because we were made his children through baptism.

Confession and absolution

In every service we humbly confess our sins to God and then gladly hear his proclamation that each and every one of them has been forgiven. it’s included in every service because we can never hear those amazing, comforting words too often.

Song of Praise

In response to the forgiveness given so freely to us, we join our voices in a song of praise to God.

Prayer of the day

We pray the appointed prayer for that Sunday of the church year. The prayer fits with the theme of the day.

children’s message

Having children in worship is very important. We take our cues from Jesus: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). In this special part of the service, we invite the children to come forward to hear a message specially crafted for them.

first reading

The first reading is usually taken from the Old Testament. many times we will hear about a prophecy that was fulfilled by Christ in the Gospel reading for the day.

psalm of the day

For 3,000 years, believers have worshipped God by singing and reciting psalms.

Second Reading

The second reading is usually taken from the Epistles–the part of the New Testament after the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Typically, they apply God’s Word specifically to the believer’s life.

Verse of the day

A short song of praise to God, based on the theme of the day, that thanks God for and prepares us to hear the Gospel lesson.

The Gospel

The entire service revolves around the Gospel reading. We stand to hear the words of Christ our King, just like people stood int he presence of royalty in ancient times.

sermon

The pastor preaches a message based on one of the three readings. The sermon teaches how God’s word applies to our Christian life.

confession of faith

After the sermon, we proclaim what we believe–what the Christian Church has always believed. To do that we use the words of the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds–both of which have been used in the Christian church for nearly two millennia.

prayer of the church

We join to pray to God about specific joys and troubles in our church and in the Church around the world. This is followed by the Lord’s Prayer.

Lord’s supper

The Lord’s Supper is offered on the first and third Sundays of the month. We, united with our brothers and sisters in the faith, approach God’s altar to receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith.

benediction

We then receive the same blessing that God gave to the ancient Israelites.

Learn more about the The Church Year.